


Cross & Stitch

by Dollianna



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Childhood Memories, F/F, Female Friendship, Gen, Healing, Overcoming Trauma, Past Child Abuse, Revelations Spoilers, Sibling Bonding, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-22
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-07-01 05:07:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15767223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dollianna/pseuds/Dollianna
Summary: As Corrin's blended army makes its way through the strange world of Valla, Camilla begins to remember less than pleasant memories from her childhood.





	Cross & Stitch

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, and thanks for stopping by! A quick word of warning, this chapter contains child abuse that may be tough to stomach. Please also excuse any grammatical errors you may find.

            The chill from another Norhian winter had easily slipped through the brickwork of Castle Krakenburg, causing a deep shudder to escape from the young princess Camilla. As she made her way back from her baby brother’s official royal unveiling, she smiled to herself: To think, she had a new baby brother! It was such a welcomed surprise considering how dreary Nohr was, especially around this time of year no less. She had seen her usually stern father hold Leo up with pride as he announced his arrival to the court, blessing his kingdom with a rare smile that held only love for his new son. And although she didn’t get to hold him like Xander did, she did get to kiss his soft forehead in front of everyone.

She giggled at how soft his head had been; it was almost like kissing a peach, which was a rare delicacy from Hoshido only delivered to this cold region from time to time.

“I hope to see him again soon.” She whispered to herself as she made it to her room. With Leo’s coronation going on, it’d be a while before she’d see him again, but nonetheless, she was excited beyond measure. She was an older sister again, and she’d do anything in her young power to keep this one around safely this time.

Pushing her bedroom door open, Camilla was greeted with one of her favorite maids. A few years older, but pale as alabaster, a green haired maid was gingerly dusting her room of any built up dirt that could somehow appear within a day of a previous cleaning. The young girl looked up from her station and smiled brilliantly at Camilla, teeth perfectly straight and white despite the her station.

“Congratulations on meeting the young prince, Princess Camilla.”

Camilla flung herself into the maid’s chest and wrapped her arms tightly around her. “Oh, it’s so good to see you again.” The maid giggled and set the duster down behind her, right onto Camilla’s gold vanity.

“But you just saw me yesterday Princess...” She stroked Camilla’s soft purple hair and smiled. “All the same, I’m happy to see you again too.” The two stayed like that for a couple moments before the young princess shot back over to her bedroom door and gently closed it shut. She looked back over at the maid with a devious smile.

“Let me brush your hair.”

The maid’s smile wavered, but she nodded and complied with her liege. Taking her hair down, she shook her head to loosen the waves, and pulled out the vanity’s small stool. Its cushion was a beautiful pink satin, with golden legs to make a match of the set; Perfectly fit for a little princess.

“How can one be so pretty?” Camilla asked as she made her way back over to her personal maid turned doll.

Camilla’s little hands wove in between the soft waves, endless green locks coiling around her tiny fingers and palms. She pulled her hands through it, careful not to hurt the maid by catching knots or the like, and brought it to her nose; the scent of jasmine filled her. The maid could only sit there and let Princess Camilla do as she please. It wasn’t that having her hair played with was uncomfortable; it was the fact that the Princess of Nohr was the one doing it to her, one of such low station.

“May I brush it?” Camilla asked, leaning her head to the side of the maid’s so they could look at one another in the vanity’s mirror.

“Of course my Princess.” Camilla pulled open the drawer to the right of them, and took out a very expensive looking brush. The maid gulped, and ever so slowly, Camilla began brushing out the maid’s mid length hair. She hummed and giggled and shared stories with the maid that made absolutely no sense, all-the-while placing kisses at the crown of the maid’s head and delicately tracing the lobe of the maid’s ear. It took a little while, but even the young girl began to relax and enjoy the pampering the young princess doted on her, regardless of how poorly the situation would be looked upon if it caught wind. She wasn’t like Prince Xander at all. The young prince, only two years older than Lady Camilla, had an air of regality, untouchability, and sternness that seemed to skip over the princess. He was kind no doubt, but unapproachable and seemed so much older than his appearance dictated.

“Finished!” Camilla said as she placed the brush down, “You’re hair is finished.” The maid smiled with genuine content and turned her head to and fro.

“My old little comb never even comes close to bringing out such a sheen like your brush does my Lady.” She turned to Camilla and grasped her little hands. “Thank you Princess.” A pink flush crossed Camilla’s face, but she still smiled brightly.

“It was my pleasure! And besides, didn’t I tell you to call me just ‘Camilla’? No more of this Lady stuff.”

“My princess...” the maid, who was quite young herself, began, “You know that’s not possible. I could lose my job, or much worse if anyone ever overheard me being so crass with you.” She pushed a few strands of Camilla’s hair behind her ear and continued.

“These little brushing tryst alone could lose me my head. Alright?”

“Okay...”

“Good. Now how about I bring you up some tea and cookies? They smelled absolutely divine this morning, and I’m sure you’ll love them.” As the maid straightened her skirts, and made her way to stand back up, Camilla placed her hands upon her rising shoulders and halted her upwards movement.

“Just onnnnne more thing,” Camilla started, getting the maid back onto the stool. The maid watched quizzically as the princess walked over to her dresser and tugged out another little stool from up under it. As Camilla stood on it, she cautiously picked up a velvet black box, double the size of her little hands, and turned it towards the curious maid. “Lookee at what father bought me for Leo’s birth.”

“O-oh.” Camilla brought it over to her and beamed, proud of her beautiful new gift that she just had to share and see modeled on her pretty maid. She opened the box and drank in the young girl’s face. “They’re beautiful...”

In the box was a double string of the whitest, and only, pearls the maid had ever laid eyes on. They were white with a soft lavender oily sheen that was reminiscent of soap bubbles from a bath. Attached to the center was a large red ruby, deep with hints of blue flecks surrounding the center. It caught the light wonderfully, shining and sparkling like a treasure out of a fantasy. She was completely gob smacked, unable to articulate how amazing this jewelery set was. The earrings consisted of even larger pearls, with ruby drops attached to them by a deep gold base.

“May...may I touch it?” The maid didn’t even wait for an answer as her nimble fingers reached for the necklace.

“Let’s do something even better.” Camilla began. She instructed the awestruck maid to turn back around, against the girl’s better judgment, and moved her green hair to the side. “I wanna see them on you.”

“But mi’lady,” the maid started weakly, the rebuttal dead before it even started, “this is-”

“ _Fine_. It’s completely fine.” Camilla assured the young maid. She placed the box by the brush and plucked the necklace up from it. Carefully, _oh so very_ carefully, she brought the necklace to the maid’s neck and secured it from behind, the gold clasp making a very distinct _'click’_ noise, solidifying that it wasn’t going to fall off. As Camilla began to put the earrings on the girl, she watched with joy as the maid touched the large ruby. She turned her face back and forth again to admire the way the necklace sat upon her chest and lengthened her neck. And when both the earrings were on, Camilla moved her green hair to her back, and admired the maid in the mirror.

“I just **knew** , from the moment father gave them to me, that they’d look amazing on you...” The young maid kept quiet, but just nodded. This was something that would never happen in her life ever again, so she intended to soak up this moment for as long as the Princess’s good grace would let her. “Do you like it?”

“I absolutely love them...” The two girls looked at each other and giggled.

“ _ **Camilla!**_ That dress you wore this morning was _completely_ inappropriate!”

A loud crash broke the spell that had been casted over the entire room as the bedroom door was flung open, banging against the wall. “What have I told you time and time-”

Stopped before them was Camilla’s mother, anger written all over her face, but now for something else entirely.

“What in all the seven hells...” Her eyes darted from Camilla, to Camilla’s maid, and then back. “Your father...” she started, striding over to the girls, “Your father _**just gave**_ these to you-!”

“Mother! I...I can explain,” Camilla interjected jumping in front of the maid, her hands beginning to shake.

“Your **father** just gave you these, and you have the **_nerve_**...,” She began with a hiss, Camilla knowing full well it would end in a furious roar. Her mother shoved her to the floor and then quickly yanked roughly at the maid’s glorious hair.

“The absolute _**nerve**_ to put them on this **trash**??!” She lifted the girl up by her hair, ignoring her pained squeals, and turned back to Camilla. “How many times have I told you Camilla?! How many times??”

“Mother, I-I’m sorry!” Camilla looked up at her mother’s enraged face and felt her bladder empty; judging by how irate her mother was, she had really done it now.

“Take it off. **NOW**!” She screamed at the maid, throwing her against Camilla’s dresser, eyes never leaving her daughter. The towering woman stepped towards Camilla and eyed her up and down with disgust; the girl couldn’t do anything right. Not a damn thing. From her poorly chosen dress that she addressed the court with this morning, to constantly fawning over her maids more than one in her station should, Camilla didn’t deserve the title of princess.

“M-mother, I’m sorry! I-It won’t happen again, I promise.” Camilla tried to stand up, tried to ignore the fact that she had soiled herself and her favorite dress, but couldn’t calm the trembling that wracked her small body. She’d probably never see her pretty maid after this again, never get to brush her long green hair ever again, but she still looked behind her mother to the girl unclasping the necklace with shaky hands. She too was crying, a nasty scrape bleeding and mixing in with her tears. Camilla wanted nothing more than to reach out to her, wanted to wipe the blood away, but was met with a slap that knocked the breath out of her.

The ringing in her ears did not pair well with her blurring vision, as a second slap landed on the same cheek, this time causing her nose to run. When Camilla finally got up, only after watching her mother storm from the room through teary eyes, did she notice the maid looking straight at her, eyes strangely warm.

“You need to get up.” she started. Camilla cocked her head, ignoring a fresh splattering of blood falling from her nose onto her dress.

“Huh?” The maid smiled now and leaned forward on her knees, cupping the princess’s bruised cheek gently.

“It’s time to get up Lady Camilla...”

x o x o

               Camilla shot up from her chair and felt a warm sensation trickle from her nose onto her lips. Once again, she was having a nasty nose bleed. Looking around, she reached for her side table with her sewing and the current book she had been reading, and snatched up her handkerchief. Plugging her nose with it, she thanked the gods that it hadn’t stained her white blouse; Hinoka was to arrive in minutes, and changing in a hurry wasn’t her strong suit.

“Ugh, what a dream...” Camilla whispered to herself, pushing her long purple hair off her shoulders with her free hand. Ever since Corrin’s army had entered Valla, Camilla had been assaulted with the worst dreams possible. Well, they weren’t really dreams, so much as long buried memories she had spent years trying to forget about, and had now manifested into nightmares. And it was something about this strange land that loved to pull out the worst in her. That, and cause terrible nose bleeds daily. As cold as Nohr was year round, she longed to be back home. This campaign to fight some invisible force controlling the two kingdoms into war was, quite honestly, a little absurd. But if Corrin needed her family, then Camilla was determined to help, even if the purpose of it all was highly unlikely.

Camilla sighed and slowly pulled her handkerchief away from her nose, cautious in case any more blood came out, but was pleased to see the flowing had stopped. As she rose from her seat, a rustling from the front of her tent caught her attention, and as expected, it was Princess Hinoka.

“ _Hello darling_ ,” Camilla purred, “welcome back.” Hinoka looked somewhat sweaty and red in the face, but full of energy and ready for another sewing lesson. The Hoshidan princess had never learned to sew, so Camilla sought to rectify that in a way to bring them closer together.

“Hey Lady, I mean, Camilla...” Hinoka let the tent flap fall and confidently strode inside, not at all like the way she was the first time she came into Camilla’s tent. The redhead paused and pointed at the handkerchief Camilla was holding. “Another nose bleed huh?”

“Unfortunately, though, this one didn’t last too long.” Hinoka made her way over to where Camilla was sitting and plopped herself into the chair across from her.

“That’s good, but maybe Sakura could make you a salve or oil to cut back on the dryness in your nose.” Camilla shoved the cloth into her pocket and smiled, properly seating herself again.

“I just might take you and her up on that offer. But, enough of that,” Camilla reached for her sewing and smiled, “Let’s see what you’ve done in your spare time.” The flush that crossed Hinoka’s cheeks instantly brought out giggle from Camilla. The poor Hoshidan princess had the worst poker face, worse than whenever Leo was caught with his collar inside out, and began to fidget.

“Perhaps that means you didn’t progress?”

Hinoka’s blush deepened, a frown spoiling her adorable face. “Come on, I train like crazy when I’m not in war meetings or doing chores. Give me a break!” Genuinely laughing this time, Camilla covered her mouth and crossed her legs.

“Alright, alright, enough excuses-”

“They’re _not_ excuses!” Hinoka interjected. “I’m plenty busy!”

“As am I dear... As am I.” Camilla leaned forward and quickly poked at Hinoka’s nose. She just loved to get a rise out of the tomboy, and loved even more when the princess took the bait.

“Hey!”

“You tempt me so.” Camilla said, voice dropping some. She was teasing, but most definitely not kidding. “Don’t be naughty, and pull out your work.” Hinoka, although begrudgingly, pulled out her cross stitch from her high collared outfit. She unbuttoned the top two clasps with ease and reached her gloved hand in, pulling out a white cloth with thread and needle attached to it. Thankfully for Hinoka, the quick glimpse of her skin was enough to stave off Camilla’s scolding. Not only was it **not** safe to keep a needle so close to her skin, her work was probably damp due to training all day like a madman.

Camilla sighed, still smiling, and chalked it up to Hinoka’s personal charm.

“Since you haven’t worked on your piece sense last time-”

“ _Okayyyyy..._ ”

“We’ll just continue with what I taught you last, and save the new techniques for next time.” The princess nodded and began stabbing at her work again. It was definitely slow goings, and not the best way to sew, but Camilla was certain Hinoka would learn in her own time and find a way to sew that was comfortable for her.

Quietly, as the time passed, with little inputs from Camilla here and there, Hinoka had finished the simple scene she had started on from their previous session. On the cloth were pictured little tufts of grass, made with the green thread, and small four square flowers made with red thread, with little stems. It wasn’t gorgeous by any stretch of the imagination, but Hinoka seemed pleased and Camilla was happy the tomboy, who had stabbed at it the entire time , finished her piece.

“I did it!” Hinoka exclaimed, holding her work out to examine it. Camilla came behind her and studied it. Messy and uneven, but full of warmth and pride, just like the woman who stitched it.

“You did a good job. Next time we’ll work on stitching two of these together.” Hinoka quickly turned to her, her face souring from her new homework assignment despite completion.

“What? I have to make another one of these?” Camilla smiled.

“Yes dear, and then we’ll stitch them together. Before you know it, we’ll have made a quilt, and then you can give it to someone.” The redhead slightly deflated, but nodded and rolled her project up with the remaining thread and needle.

“We can give it to Corrin.”

“I like that idea Princess.”

“Hey, watch it...” Camilla, who was still behind Hinoka, watched her own hand as it pushed back a short strand of fiery red hair from the Hoshidan woman’s cheek. The princess’s hair was always in such disarray, as if she was always on the go. It was a wonder if she ever got around to running a comb through it.

Hinoka’s head instantly snapped back to meet Camilla’s gaze, cheeks warming up per usual.

“Sorry darling,” Camilla whispered, “it’s a bad habit.” The voluptuous beauty pulled back and tucked her own hair behind her ear, stuttering, turning away from Hinoka.

“I’ll...uh, I’ll see you at dinner?”

“Yeah...” Hinoka quickly stood up and nodded, bowing a little before promptly exiting. In seconds, the jovial air between them had turned very, very awkward. When the cool Vallan wind hit her warm face, she exhaled a breath she hadn’t realize she had been holding.

From the small amount of time Hinoka had known her, Princess Camilla was never one to be bashful, but clearly...clearly she had been? Or she was? Hinoka shook her head and tried to clear her mind. She tried desperately to ignore how soft the Norhian princess’s fingers had been when they had grazed her cheek, or the gentle scent of jasmine that clung to her person when she was close.

It’d be easier to stitch a quilt than forget about that.

 


End file.
